By Bruce Cochrane
The chair of the Canadian Swine Health Board credits proactive efforts over the past four years to improve biosecurity on Canadian swine farms for the success in containing the spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea in Canada.
Since last April Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea has swept through the U.S. and now affects an estimated 25 percent of the U.S. swine herd.
Since January of this year the infection has been confirmed on 30 to 40 swine farms in Ontario with isolated cases in Manitoba, Quebec and Prince Edward Island.
Brian Sullivan, the chair of the Canadian Swine Health Board, says the biggest factor in the much slower spread of the infection in Canada has been our general preparedness in terms of biosecurity.
Brian Sullivan-Canadian Swine Health Board:
There was a lot of effort over the previous four years for developing standards for biosecurity and training the producers and veterinarians on the standard and enhancing biosecurity.
Once PED was confirmed in the United States there has been a tremendous amount of effort across Canada in all provinces to raise awareness and encourage enhancements and more attention to biosecurity at the farm level.
There's also very important efforts that have taken place on transportation as a big risk factor.
This was particularly important because there's so much truck traffic going back and forth between Canada and the United States and that would be a means for the virus to enter Canada on a fairly regular basis so biosecurity has been our defence to keep it from getting onto pig farms.
Sullivan says the Canadian pork industry has resolved to contain and eliminate PED and discussions are now underway aimed at developing a long term vision for sustainable industry led initiatives to achieve that end.
Source: Farmscape